Safety
by Willful Redhead
Summary: "It is just road construction." He said, and she shook her head vehemently. "No, it isn't, Adam." She responded. "It is so much more than that." Some changes that seem small can have a powerful impact.


"Hannah!" Adam McFadden stood at the bottom of the stairs, hat in hand, waiting - not as patiently as he ought to, but waiting all the same. "Are you coming or not?" He got no reply, but then again, he didn't expect one. Hannah was not one for yelling.

"I'm not a cow." She had told him more than once.

"I didn't think you were," was his standard response.

The door to their bedroom did not open, and shaking his head he doubled back to the desk where Crane sat with a sheaf of papers in his hand.

"Waiting on the Missus?" Crane asked, peering at his older brother over the top of his glasses.

"Always." Adam leaned against the back of the couch. "I thought you were supposed to help Thomas with that barn wall."

"I was, but Hannah said he called and cancelled."

"Why?"

"She didn't say." Crane held out a paper. "What is this for? I cannot read Brian's writing."

"No one can." Adam squinted at the paper. "Uh, I dunno. He picked up that new blade awhile back. Maybe that?"

"I'll ask him when he gets back." Crane shook his head. "Remember when I was thirteen and said I wanted to pitch in and you said, well, we could use someone who's good at math?"

"Yup."

"I take it back."

Adam laughed, and gave Crane's shoulder a light punch. "Too late, pal. I don't even know how to count."

"That's for sure." Hannah's voice, caused them both to turn toward the stairs. "I've been standing here for two minutes and you haven't even noticed. I thought you were in some all-fire hurry."

"I thought you guys were just meeting with Ford's guidance counselor about college." Crane said.

"We are." Hannah answered, straightening her skirt.

"Huh, well you better take her out after, Adam. She looks too nice for just a trip to a smelly high school office."

"Thank you," Hannah said, blushing. "I think."

"You are welcome. You guys take the whole day. We can run things for a few hours, anyway." Crane turned back to his paperwork, and Adam crossed to where Hannah was putting on her sweater.

"Well, you look right pretty." Adam told her, and her blush deepened.

"I thought you were irritated with me for taking too long." She said looking up at him.

"Changed my mind." He leaned down kissing her. She returned his kiss and then breaking away from him crossed the room to where Crane sat, and stepped behind his chair to the playpen that sat under the front window.

"You wake her up and you're staying home." Crane warned.

"I won't." She adjusted the small quilt over the sleeping toddler. "Please don't feed her cookies all day." She pleaded with her brother-in-law.

"She claps her little hands and smiles when I give her one." Crane responded. "It's the cutest thing."

"Crane," Hannah warned.

"I know." Crane sighed. "I also know you've got her lunch all ready in the fridge and you reminded me where the first aid kit is and all the numbers I'll need. Don't worry. This is not the first kid I've ever watched."

"Just make sure you don't let her go out riding by herself because she asked." Adam told him.

"THAT story is highly exaggerated, and Evan was six, so it isn't the same anyway. Besides, you aren't helping." Crane glared at his older brother. "You wanna leave or not?"

"Oh, stop." Hannah said. She rested a hand on Crane's shoulder. "I never worry if her uncles are watching."

"Hmphf," was her husband's muffed raising his eyebrows.

"I don't." She repeated. "Thanks for watching her."

"Not a problem." Crane smiled up at his sister-in-law. "Ever. Won't be when you're next one gets here, either." He said, indicating the slight curve of her stomach. She blushed at this and turned to her husband who was watching them with a wry grin.

"Adam? We should go."

"Huh? Right." He reached for her hand and with a wink at his brother, led her out the front door. They walked down the front steps, hand in hand, and across the yard to where the jeep was parked.

"Can't we take the truck?" Hannah asked. "Otherwise, I don't know why I bothered with my hair."

"I don't see why not." They crossed over to the barn where the truck was parked. Adam stuck his head in the barn door, "Hey, Dan'l!"

Daniel came from around behind the barn, startling both Adam and Hannah.

"What?"

"We're gonna take the truck. Lady McFadden here doesn't want her hair all mussed before she meets with townspeople." Adam thumbed in Hannah's direction.

"That's fine. Don't need it, now that Tom cancelled."

They climbed into the truck, and headed down the long drive, passing Evan who was working in the lower pasture.

"Why'd Tom cancel anyway? Did he tell you?"

"He picked up some work, I think he's gonna propose to Allison and he's saving up for a ring. I guess more money is more important than finishing off that new barn."

"Work? Where?" Adam turned onto the main road.

"Roadwork for the county - he said they were doing a bunch of work - putting in a center divide and some guardrails. It's short term but good pay."

"There's a reason they pay so much. That's some dangerous work." Adam shrugged. "One year Brian got a job working up near Angel's Camp - nearly got hit by a car every day. People don't really slow down, you know."

"You ever take on a job like that?"

"Nope. I was the one who stayed home." He sighed. "I wanted too, especially if it was dangerous. I figured better me than anyone else, but Guthrie would get real upset if I wasn't around and Ford too. They both kind of clung to me like glue back then."

"And now, we're meeting with Ford's counselor about college." She sighed. "I bet you thought this day would never come."

"I couldn't imagine it. Kind of makes me sad now, a little. Ford graduates this year, and then next year Guthrie. What'll I do then?"

"Well, you aren't out of the parenting business yet. You are kind of starting over. But just thinking of the boys all grown - you are going to set me crying. Knock it off." She gave his arm a gentle push. "I can't bear to think of Ford going off to school." She chuckled softly. "Maybe Tom could get him hired on and he can spend his days up near River Road, and not off at school somewhere."

Adam turned to her suddenly, "What'd you say?" His voice was dark and sharp.

"I was just teasing, Adam, you know I wouldn't want Ford to just work and not . . ."

"Where is Tom working?"

"Up by River Road or nearby, I think. That's what Allison said. She's bringing him lunch. You know where it connects to Highway 4."

He stared at her for a brief intense moment, and then wrenched the steering wheel, pulling them to side of the road.

"Adam, what on earth?" Hannah turned to her husband, but he didn't respond. He sat silent a moment, studying the steering wheel, and then without explanation made a u-turn, driving back the way they came. They passed the turn toward the house and he kept going, still silent.

"You want to explain what just happened?" She asked him, feeling confused and irritated. "Adam, where are we going?"

"I just got to see something." He glanced at her. "It will just take a second."

They rode in silence, she with her arms crossed and he leaning forward and gripping the wheel. It was only as he turned onto highway 4 that she understood.

"Adam," She said, as realization dawned. She reached out and put a soft hand on his arm.

"Just a sec, hon." His voice was brittle, but she recognized something else, behind the sharp tones.

The work crew was already finished at the section where River Road met Highway 4, they could see the new center divide that ran down the middle of the road - it changed the way the road looked - making her feel slightly disoriented. Adam hesitated sitting at the turn for a few minutes before turning onto the curvy road. They drove in silence for two miles, and then he pulled off onto the side of the road. She wasn't sure if she should speak, and chose instead to remain silent, waiting and watching. He opened the cab door, and stepped down onto the road. He stood staring at the center divide for a long time, and then he pulled his hat down low and strode toward the center so that he stood in the middle of the road, just a foot from the new cement structure.

Hannah was slower getting out. She walked around to the front of the truck, and stood for a moment watching her husband. She glanced up and down the long road which was empty of cars. She took a step to walk out toward where he stood, but he must have heard her because even though his back was still toward her he held a palm outstretched toward her.

"Stay put. I don't want you getting . . ." He didn't finish the sentence.

"Adam,"

"Just give me a minute, alright, sweetheart." He glanced up at her on the last word, and she knew from the set of his jaw, that he was fighting a tidal wave of emotion. She simply nodded at him, despite an aching desire to cross the road and wrap her arms around him.

Adam turned back to the center divide, and stood still as the concrete he stared at. After a few long, silent moments, he put out a hand and touched the center divide. He might have stood like that for the rest of the day, if the sudden loud honk of a truck horn, hadn't startled them both and he dashed back across to where she stood waiting as a big rig drove past them. The rush of wind, blew back their hair and made her suck in her breath - it was so big and so fast.

The stood side-by-side staring out as the world around them settled back into silence. The truck gone.

"That's was foolish." He said after a minute. "I'm sorry."

"Adam," She began, turning to him, a hand on his upper arm.

"It's . . . I'm . . . We better get going. We're gonna be late." He turned to climb back into the truck.

"We can reschedule." She said gently, pulling him back. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I don't know why I didn't . . ."

"You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. I just . . ." He sighed, and leaned against the truck. "I just wanted to see it."

The new divide changed the landscape, but looking across this stretch of road, she could still see the stump of a tree that had never been removed. It had remained where it was for nearly fifteen years. The new divide blocked from view the small wooden cross that Crane had put into place when he was just a boy.

"It's stupid. I'm sorry, honey. They are sitting waiting for us at that meeting, and I didn't even think about . . ."

"Oh, hush now." She said soothingly, reaching for his hand. "They'll reschedule. That's no problem. There are sixteen kids in Ford's class, and only seven of them even applied to college. Ford is the only one having to navigate multiple offers. They've got room in their schedule."

"I just . . ." Adam shoulders slumped, and he stared at a spot on the ground by his feet. "Why didn't they put it in before?"

His voice was soft, but more than the softness of it, it was the smallness of the sound. In moments like these, which were few and far between, he sounded nothing like the Older Brother, or Rancher, or even his newest role, Father - he sounded like a boy; a boy who'd lost his parents.

She moved closer, an arm around his waist, her hand rubbing gentle circles on his back. His muscles were tense, and it was like trying to comfort concrete, but she knew, better than anyone that beneath the stony surface was the gentlest of hearts.

"Dad had been saying for years and years and years that someone ought to put in a center divide out here. Especially after Brian and me started driving. He said that it was so dangerous with the truckers roaring through here." He rubbed his face with his hand. "And afterwards, Brian got a real bee in his bonnet about it. Went to town hall meetings, and was real angry about it. But the town council kept saying it was a county road and wasn't in their jurisdiction. Brian couldn't hear that though, and he didn't speak to Dave Lewis for like seven years. He was so pissed off - still can be if you give him a chance." He lifted an arm indicating the center divide. "THIS is going to really mess with his head." He let out a long sigh. "All the boys are going to be upset. Did you tell anyone else where Tom was working?" He turned to her.

"No, sweetheart. Just you. Crane asked me, but Katie was crying and I never got around to answering him." She reached up and rubbed a gentle hand across his cheek.

"Well, that's, uh, good. I'll sit down with 'me and tell them tonight. I don't want them finding out by driving down the road."

"I could tell them." She offered.

"No, that's my job."

"Adam," She sighed. "I'm the one who took Tom's phone call. I'm the one who . . ."

"You are a good woman, Hannah Joy." He said turning toward her. "You are always trying to . . ." His voice trailed off and his eyes rested on the center divide. "When Brian was railing at the town council over this road, he kept talking about how dangerous it was. He kept talking about how there was nothing between the cars - no protection; no safety." He glanced down at her. "It's the same argument Daddy made. He'd talk about how dangerous the road was - that there was no safety. And you'd think I'd be happy to see this." He gestured toward the new structure that ran down the middle of the road. "And don't get me wrong, I am happy. No other family should feel all that pain and not just our family - the truck driver's too. He never set out to kill anyone. He just waited too long before resting and he has to carry us around for the rest of his days; the man who made seven boys orphans." He put an arm around her and pulled her tight against his side. "But right now standing here, all I can think is that if that center divide had been here fifteen years ago, Mama and Daddy would've come home that night and they'd be watching Kate right now." He drew in a deep gulp of air, struggling to keep his emotions at bay.

"I sound like a little kid." He added softly. "Acting like a . . . Over road construction."

"You sound like a son, and one that loves his parents."

She watched as he shifted his jaw from side to side, grinding his teeth. She tugged him closer, "Hey, it's just me here." She said softly. "You don't have to pretend. You are a tough cowboy either way." She wrapped her arms around him, and he buried his face in her shoulder.

"It's just road construction." He said stubbornly.

"It's more than that." She soothed.

"You ever hear the words 'If only' echoing every beat of your heart."

"Yes." She said pulling him closer.

"They put that damn thing up fifteen years too late." He allowed her to hug him tightly sinking into the comfort of her embrace. They stood like that for a long time, and it was only when another passing big rig, startled both of them that he released her. He stepped back from her, turning to face the center divide once more. "It's just stupid road construction," He repeated and then, wiping his eyes turned back to her. "Look, we're probably gonna be an hour late. What'd you say, we head into town, I'll call the school from Marie's. We'll have an early dinner - just us two."

"That'd be nice." She said.

"Well, just us three." He corrected himself, grinning at her with a wink. She laughed in spite of the intensity of the last few moments and squeezing his hand, turned toward the truck.

He opened the truck door, and put out a hand to help her up, but impulsively, pulled her close and kissed her. She said nothing to him, as they rode toward town. There was nothing she could say. The center divide **wasn't** there fifteen years ago, and he and his brothers, had navigated a difficult path together. This was the truth of her family. They were, all of them, orphaned boys who had somehow managed to build a life together, and to even make room for her in it, but the loss was a part of them always. A big rig **had** crossed that line, late one night, just as her husband's parents were returning from a rare night out, and in that instant everything had changed for them. She could speak no words to undo all that, instead, she held tightly to her husband's hand as they travelled forward together.

***7***

Hannah McFadden stood at the kitchen sink wondering if the spot in front of it had imprints of her shoes. She reached for another dish after a quick glance at the playpen that now sat in the corner of the kitchen where her daughter sat playing.

"I'm almost finished, sweetpea."

She was scrubbing her last plate.

"Why the hell would you tell him about that damn guardrail!" She nearly dropped the plate at her brother-in-law Brian's outburst. He stood a foot away from her, hands on hips, his face red with anger.

"I . . . I . . . what are you . . ."

"You know damn well, what I'm talking about. Don't you play confused with me! You knew it would upset him! Why would you even bring it up? He never drives that way unless he has to, and he might not have known about it for ages!"

"Stop cursing at me!" She spat back. She had learned long ago that her survival was dependent on her ability to hold her own with her husband's brothers; especially when it came to Brian. "Who told _you_ about it?"

Brian hesitated, fighting anger, before responding, "Would you believe it? It was Dave Lewis. I've given him hell for years and he comes to me. He said he didn't want me hearing about it from anyone else."

"Dave is good people." She sighed, and turned off the water. Crossing the room, she lifted Katie out of her playpen, kissing the toddle on her forehead before sitting down at the kitchen table, just to the left of where Brian stood. "Brian," She began exasperated. "Seriously? You think I'd cause him pain on purpose?"

"Well, no." He agreed. "But sometimes trying to help doesn't work out just right."

"That's true enough." She agreed with him. "Look, he just asked me about why Tom didn't need any help with the barn. I hadn't thought about _where_ the road construction was until after I said it. I would _never, ever_ do anything to hurt him, Brian. I thought you _believed_ that."

"Hannah," He began, and shaking his head, sat down in the chair just to the left of hers, at the top of the table. "Look, I shouldn't have come in here all . . .I was just confused and he's upset about it. I couldn't understand how . . .Never mind." He sighed. "God, honey, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"I forgive you." She said, leaning back in the chair, feeling the tension leave her body. "And I'm sorry about all of it. I _should_ have thought more about it. I did blindside him."

"Not on purpose." Brian told her. "He'd find out eventually and it was better that it was you. I mean, even if it was on accident, once you realized, you _understood_."

"I don't know that anyone can fully understand, Brian." She said gently. "All I know is that anything that grieves him, grieves any of you, grieves me too - not in the same of course, but it hurts me all the same. And I'm sorry that they put that damn thing up too late."

"That damn thing probably wouldn't have made a difference. Crane's did the math back in junior high. The truck was going to fast." Brian told her softly. She said nothing but reached out and held onto to his hand.

"Dam!" Katie said causing them both to laugh.

"I am telling you this child is going to get kicked out of preschool some day because we can't seem to manage our language around her." Hannah said rising and wiping a tear. "She cursed right at Mrs. Collins in the church nursery last week. Thank God she was too deaf to hear it."

"That baby girl is perfect angel, and I'll fight anyone who says different." He said kissing his little niece's hand, as Hannah paused standing beside him.

"How long have you known?" She asked him.

"About a week. Crane too. We were putting off telling him as long as possible. And I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have attacked you like I did, and we should've told him soon as we found out. Putting things off doesn't fix things."

"What about the others?" She asked.

"I don't know. I guess we gotta tell everyone." He sighed heavily. "Or we could put it off. Guthrie's always got his head in a book and Ford will be leaving for school soon. Most of the boys won't be driving that way."

She said nothing but squeezed his shoulder, as she passed by to go out to the living room with Katie on her hip. "I'm sorry, Brian." She said and kissed his forehead.

***7***

It was times like these when Hannah could imagine how things had been so long ago. The brothers were all gathered in the front room. Guthrie held Katie in his arms and the little girl laughed as he tickled her, blowing kisses on her shoulder which never failed to make her laugh.

"Let her catch her breath, Guth." She said, gently. Katie's laughter was the only sound in the room. A heaviness hung over everything as their eldest brothers' words settled over all of them.

"You saw it?" Daniel asked, anger in his tones.

"Yep." Adam responded. "Not much to look at. It's just a center divider like any other divider you've seen." He shrugged.

"We all know it wouldn't have changed things." Crane said calmly. "I did the math, and Ford did too. Didn't you?"

"Yeah." Ford agreed with a sigh. "The truck was too fast. It wouldn't have changed much."

"Might of killed the truck driver." Daniel spat back.

"Yeah, that's true." Crane responded. "So another family would've been ripped apart."

"They were anyway." Evan pointed out. "He went to jail."

"The past is the past." Brian interrupted. "Nothing can change that. Nothing. It's just . . ." He stopped at a loss for words.

"Some things hurt." Adam finished for him. "They just do. There's nothing we can do about it. It comes on us sometimes for no reason at all, and sometimes we got a reason for it - like right now. Pain is a part of life."

"You got a way of cheering us up." Guthrie said, as his niece settled against his chest with a yawn.

"Guthrie," Adam's voice sounded tired. "You . . ."

"No, I know what you mean, and you are right." Guthrie admitted. "I don't know. I just feel mad. It isn't logical but I just do."

"Me, too." Daniel agreed.

"I should feel glad that no one else will cross that line and get in a bad accident. I mean that is the way I _should_ feel about it, but instead I feel mad." Guthrie said, and Hannah moved to sit beside him on the couch, squeezing herself between him and Ford. She wrapped an arm around Guthrie's shoulder, and Ford, who was a good foot and a half taller than her now, rested his head against her shoulder.

"Sometimes I wish that we could do something." Daniel said. "You know? It sucks to just sit here and feel terrible."

"It does." Adam agreed, moving to sit on the arm of the chair that Daniel sat in. He squeezed his brother's shoulder. "But what could we do?"

The question remained unanswered and eventually everyone turned back to their regular evening routines. There was a tenderness to everyone, and the house seemed much more subdued than normal, but at least everyone knew about the road work. At least none of them would turn down that road and see with shock the changes that had been made. It was as Hannah lifted Katie out of the bathtub, handing the wriggling wet toddler to her husband that she heard the brothers' voices talking downstairs.

"What's going on?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at her husband.

"Baby, you got a sixth sense." He smiled at her wrapping the towel around his daughter. "Don't worry about it. They just need to talk."

"That's not talking. They are plotting. I can _feel_ it."

"The less you know the better." He told her as they carried Katie to their bedroom. "That way you can't tell the sheriff anything, if he asks."

"Sheriff?" Her eyes grew wide. "Adam Jackson! What on earth?"

"Hush, now sweetheart. You are gonna give Katie a scare." He set her down on their bed, and she clapped her hands happily.

"Mama!"

"That's right!" Adam said smiling. The little girl had just started talking. "Mama" being her first word which was quickly followed by "damn". He leaned forward kissing her tiny fingers. He glanced up at his wife's furrowed brow. "Hannah, leave it be. Trust me, alright. It's nothing too dangerous or too illegal."

"Things are illegal or legal, Adam. There's no degrees to it." She stood a hand on her hip. "Ford has that scholarship to think about."

"Trust me, darlin'. It won't cost him his education. Turn that worry meter down a notch. It's not good for Hannah Jr." He told her with a smile.

"Adam Jr." She corrected. She moved closer and her wrapped his arm around her waist. "Promise you won't let anything happen to my boys?"

"Promise." He told her.

She heard them leaving late that night, and of course, it bothered her some. She felt the mattress shift as Adam rose too, but she kept her eyes closed, pretending to sleep. One thing she was sure of and that was the word of a cowboy was more solid than the ground beneath her. Still she offered a prayer for safety, although she had no idea about what they were up to, but Adam was probably right. It was best she didn't know.

***7***

It was around dinner time the following day that Sheriff Taylor Jackson appeared on their front step. Hannah was the one who opened the door, and seeing him immediately said, "Damn!"

"It's lovely to see you to, Hannah." He said removing his hat. "The boys at home?"

"We were just sitting down to super. You hungry?" She asked him.

"I'm here on official business." He told her.

"Well, it hasn't stopped you before. Besides some roast might make up for my greeting." She gestured him into the house, leading him to the kitchen where everyone was gathered.

"Look who showed up in time for supper." She said as all conversation halted.

"I'll just get my hat." Brian said rising. "Save me a plate, Sis. I hate to miss your roast."

"Going somewhere?" Sheriff Jackson asked.

"I figured I'm going with you. You are here to arrest somebody aren't you?"

"Why would I be doing that?" The sheriff asked.

"I don't know." Brian countered, crossing his arms.

"I just came by to mention to all of you that someone carved your parent's names in the center divide they just put up. It seems like it must have happened in the middle of the night because it wasn't there yesterday, but was there this morning."

"Oh." Hannah said settling back down into her chair next to Katie's high chair.

"You can imagine that the foreman was pretty ticked that something he'd put up less than a few weeks ago already had some graffiti."

"You can take _me_ in. I'm all ready to go." Brian said.

"Course, I told him that it was graffiti, but more like a monument." Sheriff Jackson continued. "And when I explained things he said he wasn't going to even log it on the books."

Silence hung over the room.

"You boys," He shook his head. "Even if they had pressed charges or tried to investigate, you think anyone in this town would've told them anything? No, sir. Hell, Benny said if they tried to press charges against anyone, he was gonna confess to it and you better believe that there was a long list of volunteers to confess with him. I just figured you might be worried or hear some talk over it, so I thought I'd pass the information along."

"No one needs to cover for us," Brian said stubbornly. "I'm ready to pay for it."

"Don't be a mule, Bri." Adam told his brother. "You staying for supper?" He asked the sheriff.

"Oh, I don't want to be a bother. I just figured Hannah'd be worrying over you boys getting yourselves into trouble and my Missus wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I let that happen so . . ."

"You are staying for supper." Hannah said rising and pulling him toward a chair. "Thank you." She said as he sat down. "Thank you, very much." He smiled up at her.

"No problem, ma'am."

"Guth, go get a chair for Hannah." Adam said, and Guthrie went out to the front room to grab a chair.

"He did have one thing he planned on doing." Sheriff Jackson said reaching for a bowl of corn.

"Who?" Brian asked, settling back into his chair.

Guthrie set the chair near Adam's place at the table and Hannah sat down, as Adam fetched another plate for her before sitting back down.

"Oh, the foreman."

"If this is some trick to get me to feed you before you deliver bad news, Taylor. I'll never forget it." Hannah interrupted.

"No, nothing like that. He said that if some folks in town would split the cost, he'd be willing to install a plaque. He said that things should be done proper."

"Well," Adam's fork clattered against his plate. "Well, that's . . ."

"I told him I was sure I could get it funded by 5 pm, which I did. But I also told him that the plaque shouldn't cover up what was done, but should go beside it."

"We can add some money to that . . ." Adam began.

"Nope. Nothing left to pay. Everyone wanted to pitch in, and most folks felt bad they hadn't thought of it themselves. So, you boys made your tribute and now the town will make theirs." He sat back in his chair looking around the table. "Maybe sometimes it seems like it might not be so, but not one person in this town has ever forgotten."

No one was eating now, and Hannah reached for her husband's hand, clinging tightly to his shaking fingers.

"So," Sheriff Jackson said after a few long minutes. "Is there any gravy for this?"

"Yes." Hannah said through tears, and squeezing Adam's fingers she turned to the stove to get it.

***7***

The oldest McFadden brothers sat together on the front porch watching a bright sky filled with stars.

"It's late." Brian said. "I ought to be in bed."

"Feels like a Saturday night." Crane commented from where he sat at the top of the porch steps.

"It's Tuesday." Hannah said, stepping out on the porch, and sitting beside her husband on the porch swing. "I know what you mean, though."

"This week has taken the strangest turns already." Adam said, wrapping an arm around his wife, who snuggled in against his shoulder. "Some days, huh?"

"Some days." Brian agreed. "Of course, I expected to be spending tonight in jail, so there's no complaining."

"Your home away from home." Crane commented with a chuckle.

"Thinking about it now, it seems almost silly." Adam said thoughtfully. "It is just road construction."

"No, it isn't." Brian turned toward his older brother. "You know it isn't."

Adam sighed and Hannah lifted her head looking up into his face. "It's more important than that." She said softly.

"I keep thinking that somehow it will be over, and we will have righted ourselves." Adam said but turning to meet his wife's worried eyes, "It's alright, hon." He told her brushing a kiss against her forehead.

"It's never over, Junior. You know that." Brian said. "It's part of who we are, and always will be."

"It's not all we are." Crane added. "But it's a good piece of us." He turned to look out to the bright stars. "And that center divide, that piece of road, it belongs to us. It's carved into our hearts."

"In the beginning," Adam said quietly. "Everything felt so upside down, and out of control."

"Unsafe." Brian agreed.

"Yeah." Adam nodded. "That stretch of road, I could never drive it. It made me . . . I don't know. . . I couldn't even breathe, I was so afraid. It took years for me to manage it, and now . . . I don't know. I guess it is good to know that maybe for other folks, it will be safe."

"We are safe, too." Crane said turning to look at Adam. "We always have been. You made sure of that." He rose to head inside. "Good night."

Brian moved to stand in front of Hannah and Adam, leaning against the porch rail. "That's true enough." He told his brother. "When everything was messed up and if felt like every single thing was out of control, you kept us steady. You protected us."

"Brian, don't . . ." Adam interrupted.

"Don't boss me, Adam." Brian said with a soft chuckle. "You don't tell _me_ what I can and cannot do." He paused thoughtfully. "When it comes to us, you are and always have been our safety. Hell, you even tried to protect us from a stupid guardrail." He reached turned to go inside, but paused to squeeze his older brother's shoulder. "Daddy and Mama would be really proud of you. You've done right by them 100 times over."

Hannah sat beside her husband. They didn't talk. She had no desire to shatter the shimmery beauty of the last few moments. Instead she settled in closer against his shoulder, as he held tightly to her, his hand resting on the slight rise of her stomach. She knew that if she spoke, he would turn and deny his tears, and so she sat closely to him while giving him all the space in the world. The sky was full of stars when he finally spoke, his voice still husky.

"It's late." He said gruffly. "We should be in bed." He rose, holding a hand out to her, and helping her rise. He pulled her up, and then against his chest, swallowing her up in a hug and then kissing her. "I'll take you out to see it." He said hugging her to him again. "Tomorrow, if you want."

"I'd like that." She told him.

"Okay." He released her but kept her hand in his. "We better get to bed."

"The sun's gonna rise soon enough." She agreed.

"It always does." He said thoughtfully holding the door open for her. "Even on those days when it doesn't seem possible, it rises anyway." She rested a light hand against his chest before stepping inside and pulling him after her. He closed the door, blocking out, not only the chill that had come to settle over everything, but the darkness, too.

Inside his entire family would slept in safety; they always had.


End file.
